🔗 Share this article Olympic Athlete and Several Eritreans Released After 18 Years Without Trial, Relatives Report Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade. Those Among the Freed Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor. Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well. The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases of the detainees. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said. International Criticism and Detention Environment The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Rule For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and hold open elections. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.
Zeragaber Gebrehiwot competed at age 24 when he participated in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Thirteen individuals held for over 18 years without trial in Eritrea have been freed from a infamous military prison, according to family members of the prisoners. Those released were a number of well-known individuals, such as 69-year-old Olympic athlete and businessman Zeragaber Gebrehiwot. They had been incarcerated at Mai Serwa prison, renowned for its harsh conditions and where many inmates are believed to be detained for political reasons. Circumstances Surrounding the Arrest A source who was once detained in Mai Serwa indicated the prisoners were taken into custody in October 2007 following an attempted assassination on a high-ranking state security official in the government. Approximately thirty individuals were originally arrested, per the source. Some have been released in the intervening period, but roughly two dozen remained in custody. The Story of an Athlete Zeragaber competed in the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. The mountainous country, which gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, possesses a deep-rooted tradition of cycling and its cyclists have steadily gained global acclaim over the past decade. Those Among the Freed Those released alongside Zeragaber comprise prominent businessmen Tesfalem Mengsteab and Bekure Mebrahtu as well as the Habtemariam brothers - David, an engineer, and Matthews, a surveyor. Six senior police officers and an internal security agent were released as well. The Eritrean government has made no official comment concerning the releases of the detainees. Many of them are sick and this may be the reason why they have been released now. Families were not allowed to visit the prisoners throughout their detention, the relatives said. International Criticism and Detention Environment The UN and human rights groups have long accused the Eritrean government of gross human rights violations, including ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and the detention of tens of thousands of people in inhumane conditions. Mai Serwa facility, situated about 9km north-west of the capital, Asmara, has grown over the years to incorporate 20 metal shipping containers in which prisoners are held incommunicado, according to reports. Context of Government Rule For the past thirty years, Eritrea has continued to be a single-party nation with no functioning constitution. It is among the world's most militarised societies, with compulsory national service of unlimited duration. There has been an absence of independent media since the closure of private publications and detention of most of their editors and journalists in 2001. This was when the government arrested 15 politicians known as the G-15, along with 16 journalists, after they called for that the head of state implement the draft constitution and hold open elections. Per rights groups, the status and location of 11 of the politicians, as well as the journalists allegedly having links to the G-15, remain unknown. Now 79 years old, the leader marked 32 years in power and has still never faced an electoral contest.